


Julie and A Christmas Carol

by Kikibaya



Series: JATP Phanfics: Something to Read until Season Two [6]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: "Flying Solo", "Now or Never", "Unsaid Emily", AU Based off A Christmas Carol Where Julie hasn't met the boys yet, Alex is the only one who understands 2020, All Songs From Julie and The Phantoms Except the one in the last chapter, All the boys are ghosts but in a completely different way, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bobby Wilson is named Bobby Marley in this fic as a joke made by Luke...He's Bobby tho, Carrie Wilson Redemption, Carrie Wilson's dad is not alive...but her mom is, Chapter Fourteen Original Song written by me: "Destiny", Chapter Titles taken from lyrics of "Wake Up", Dirty Candy (Julie and The Phantoms), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by A Christmas Carol, Loss of Parent(s), Lots of redemption for Carrie in this one!, Luke Patterson Needs a Hug (Julie and The Phantoms), Other, Platonic Female/Female Relationships, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Ray really needs a hug, References to A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens, Reggie Has Bad Parents (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie Needs a Hug (Julie and The Phantoms), Sunset Curve (Julie and The Phantoms), The beginnings of juke..., supportive flynn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:40:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 9,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27993912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kikibaya/pseuds/Kikibaya
Summary: It's almost time for the annual Christmas Gala...The only problem: Julie hasn't found the strength to sing since her mother passed away. How will she overcome this obstacle, and what forces are at work to help her do so? A Christmas Carol AU featuring the members of Sunset Curve as the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Song lyrics from the show as well as an original song by me included!
Relationships: Alex & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie, Alex & Luke Patterson & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Bobby Marley (Original Male Character) & Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Carlos Molina & Julie Molina & Ray Molina, Flynn & Julie Molina, Julie Molina & Alex, Julie Molina & Aunt Victoria, Julie Molina & Carrie Wilson, Julie Molina & Luke Patterson, Julie Molina & Reggie, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Kayla & Carrie Wilson, Ray Molina/Rose
Series: JATP Phanfics: Something to Read until Season Two [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2013343
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	1. Here's the one thing...

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! As hinted in my notes for Sunset Curve One-Shots, an early Christmas present...for YOU! I hope you enjoy this AU based off Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Note: The chapters are divided by events that happen in the story as opposed to word length. Sooo, basically some are really short and others are really long! I would suggest reading this all the way through because of that, but it works fine either way <3

The air outside was warm. Not cold, yet it was the type of weather that just screamed Christmas time. And that’s what it was. Christmas time. In L.A. Unlike the winter wonderlands of the northeast--New York was always covered this time of year--L.A. remained pretty much as usual. The only difference was that the whole city was immersed in reds, greens, golds, and silvers. It was honestly beautiful. Well...to most people. To Julie Molina it was just another reminder. A reminder of everything she had lost that year. It was the year her mother had passed away, the year she had got kicked out of the music program, the year she had lost many friendships, and the year music had lost its meaning. And as Julie strolled through the hallway of Los Feliz High School, the promise of presents, vacations, holiday cheer dancing through the heads of her fellow classmates, she didn’t feel anything. Nor did she want to. The best solution to everything she had been going through would be to bottle it up. Chuck the bottle in a lockbox. Throw away the key. At least, that’s what she had thought. Let’s just say, it hadn’t been working so far. 

Flynn was concerned. Concerned for her own joyless Christmas--she would be going to Tennessee with her family--but, more importantly, concerned for her best friend. Julie had been absent all year. Well, physically she had been there. But mentally? Emotionally? She was a ghost. A ghost to her own feelings. And a ghost to her friends. Flynn had never said anything, but she missed the old Julie. A lot. And, honestly, she didn’t know how long she could stay friends with this one. Flynn shook her head at the thought. No, she would be Julie’s friend forever. Even if she never got her Julie back. Friends stick together. No matter how much they change. That’s the true test of friendship. One Flynn had passed with flying colors. Carrie on the other hand, not so much.

Demons crept along the halls that day. Demons of the past. Of the present. The future. Carrie shivered. Sure she had been able to hide her pain for a long time. Forming Dirty Candy had helped with that. Making new friends(?) had helped with that. She forced a smile as she slugged an arm around the shoulder of Kayla, another member of Dirty Candy. The one in purple. The one in purple? Was that all Kayla was? Her backup dancer? Her extra? Carrie fought back tears that threatened to escape her eyes. No. The little devil on her shoulder whispered. That will ruin your mascara. You are fierce. You are better than this. Pain is a weight. It will drag you down. Her face transformed into a look of pure determination. No. It wasn’t determination. It was a mask. It was the pink wig she wore. The Dirty Candy logo on her back. It was the Hasbro Barbie doll she had become ever since losing the best friend she ever had. She smiled, her eyebrows knitting together in a feeling she couldn’t understand. It was time for their last performance before break. And she was gonna kill it. 

Julie sighed. One last assembly. Just one more thing before she could leave this cursed place. One more assembly before she could go home, hide in her covers, and never come out. Ok, so maybe she would come out for the brownies her dad had promised to make her Christmas morning. But that was it. She was gonna go into full-on hibernation. And no one was gonna stop her. 

Flynn frowned as she saw Julie enter the gymnasium. Jules. She thought. I’m going to miss you. Heck, I already do. She traveled over to the bleachers where Julie was and sat down next to her. “Hey underachiever.” She chided.

“Hey disappointment.” Julie smiled as she nudged Flynn back. A frown soon replaced the smile seconds later.

“Now, now. None of that. I know they’re revolting...Flynn indicated to the Dirty Candy performers...but, it’s just one performance. Then we’ll be free of the demons for like a whole month!” She smiled and gave Julie another nudge. Julie flashed a smile back and commenced to watch the performance.

After Carrie and her dancers were finished, the crowd cheered loudly and immediately quieted to listen to the announcements the principal was droning off. Pretty soon, the bell rang and students poured out in waves. Just when Julie was about to be free, a figure blocked her path. 

"Going somewhere?" Carrie's cold voice sent shivers down Julie's spine. 

Julie stopped dead in her tracks. "That was...she coughed...pretty...good." She looked up, hoping Carrie would just leave her alone. 

"Well it was a lot better than what you did. Oh wait, you didn't do anything." Carrie looked at her nails before looking up and smirking at Julie and Flynn.

"Back off Carrie." Flynn warned. 

Carrie huffed. "Or what?" 

Flynn didn't answer but instead grabbed Julie by the shoulders and led her around Carrie and out the doors of the gymnasium. 

"Thanks." Julie breathed. "It was getting kind of intense in there." 

"If by intense you mean we were getting choked out by the demon's flames, then yes." Flynn looked at Julie in concern before continuing. "Jules. You know if you need me I'm just one text away." She waved her phone in the air as she left down the hallway. "I might be in Tennessee, but that doesn't mean I won't book the first flight back here at the first sign of trouble." With that, Flynn was gone. 

Julie sighed. Time to go home and face her other demons. Her dad still didn't know that she hadn't made it back into the music program. And that was not a conversation she was looking forward to.


	2. I want you to know…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't be including chapter summaries for this fic because it can be read all the way through and doesn't really need them.

"Julie." Ray stared at her as she forcefully shoved noodles in her mouth. "Is there something you want to talk to me about." 

He already knows. Dang it! What do I say? "I-I...Tía! Hi!" Julie breathed a sigh of relief as her aunt walked in carrying dishes filled with arroz con pollo y tamales. 

"Hola mis favoritos." She smiled widely at both Julie and Carlos. Carlos waved back from his spot at the dinner table. "And how are we today? I see things here are going better." Tía remarked as she patted the spot the Molinas always set out for Rose. Ray smiled at her sheepishly. 

"Yeah." 

"So I hear someone was trying to get back into the music program? How'd it go hermosa?" She looked expectantly at Julie, waiting for a response. Julie froze.

"I-um. You know what...I hear Carlos did pretty good at practice today. Bet you'd like to hear about that." Julie shot a look to Carlos, begging him to start talking fast. Carlos obliged. 

"Yeah...I...Ray cut him off.

"Nice try, you're a good brother. But, that's not going to work. Mija...what's wrong?" 

Julie sighed as Tía, her dad, and Carlos had their eyes fixed on her, waiting for an explanation. 

"Ok. So, I didn't get back into the music program." She flinched as she waited for the yelling to begin. It never came.

"Mija." Ray's eyes softened. "We-we'll figure something out." He smiled a watery smile at her. For the meantime, I need your help cleaning out your mom's studio." His voice cracked as he mentioned Rose. "It's a necessary step if we're going to move. It'll need to be clean before the real estate agents get here." His eyes looked like they were getting redder, but nevertheless he held back his tears. He needed to be strong for his children right now. Besides, Julie needed this. They all needed this. 

Tía smiled in pride. "That's great Ray. I'm glad to see we are all making progress. Ok, I'm off to pilates. See you later niños. Mwha. Mwha." She blew kisses to Carlos and Julie as she left. Julie huffed and turned back towards Ray. 

"I guess I can start clearing out the studio." She brought up in a small voice. She sighed in slight relief. At least they weren't talking about the music program anymore. 

"Thanks mija." He gave her a weak smile. "Carlos and I will clean up." At that Carlos protested, but quickly brightened up when he figured that meant he'd get out of cleaning the studio. 

Before Julie could leave, Ray asked her one more question. "By the way, are you feeling up to performing at the annual Christmas Gala this year? I know it's been a rough year, but I thought I'd still ask." 

Julie's shoulders dropped as she looked at the floor. "I-I just don't think I'm up for playing music right now." Sadness welled up in her chest. I don't know if I'll ever be able to play again. Julie thought of her mom. Of how they used to play the piano together every Christmas for the gala. Pain panged at her heart. No. She couldn't play. Playing reminded her too much of the loss. Of the things she could never get back. The friendships. The feelings. The melodies. They were all but bittersweet memories to her now. Memories that Julie hoped, with time, would completely disappear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some Spanish words in this fic, so here is a quick guide to what those mean:   
> arroz con pollo y tamales: A typical dish served with rice, chicken, and tamales  
> Hola mis favoritos: Hello my favorites  
> hermosa: beautiful (beautiful woman)  
> Mija: My daughter  
> niños: children


	3. You got some place to go…

There she was. Back in the studio. The one place she figured she would never dare venture into for the rest of her days. She breathed in a shaky breath. Here goes nothing. She climbed the ladder leading to the loft. Might as well start here. She figured that perhaps the loft would be the less painful area to begin with. All that was up there was musty old tee shirts and cds with bands she had never even heard off. Sunset Curve. She read the title on the cd case before setting it aside. Her mom had been into so many different bands when she was younger. Most of them never went anywhere. But Sunset Curve? For some reason, Julie felt as though her mom had mentioned them before. She shrugged the feeling off. No. She wasn't gonna go near anything that brought back memories of her mom. She made a mental note to throw away the cd later.

The night grew older as Julie shifted through the old things that littered the loft. Bag of clothes. Old yearbooks. Drumsticks? Ok. Dusty picture frame. Eww. Julie wiped her hands across her blue jeans. That one was really gross. 

Pretty soon, the stars shone brightly through the window in the loft and Julie slowly but surely drifted off into an uneasy sleep, her head resting gingerly on an old cut-off tee. 

Dreams filled her head as sleep pulled her into its lulling embrace. Dreams of past Christmases. Of past friendships. Of lost hopes and desires. She shifted in her sleep, sweat beginning to form at the brim of her hairline and the top of her lip. In her sleep, Julie's eyebrows furrowed. Something was there. A force greater than a dream. Something. Someone? The tune to Ukrainian Bell Carol played softly at first in her mind. An old classic she had always heard played on violin at her high school. The tune's pace increased, tempo matching the racing beating of her heart. The notes grew louder, the drums pounding. Then something struck a note of confusion to her brain. An electric guitar? She heard the cords of the carol ring out, the rift vibrating her very soul as Rock music generally did. A cord struck loudly. So loudly that it felt like a hammer hitting the anvil that was her heart. Julie covered her ears. At that moment, a scream was followed by the poof of silvery white mist. Well...mist...snow? She wasn't sure. 

The demon. Ghost. Person...whatever it was stood before her. Julie opened her mouth to scream. Sound didn't come out. She looked at him in confusion. He looked back. 

"Oh, thank goodness I was the first. I thought for sure old Bobby Marley would try to pay you a visit. Good thing he didn't, he would've freaked you the heck out. Heck, he freaks me out and I'm a ghost too! Ok, well in my defense he looks like a substitute teacher now, and I never liked school anyways…" The spirit trailed off as he saw the girl's vacant expression. "Oh, right." He cleared his throat. "I'm Luke." He gave a bow in front of her. "Your resident Ghost of Christmas Past. And I'm here to show you well...your past...ba-DAH!" He shook his hands in a small gesture, he was expecting her to respond, clap, smile, something! She just shrugged. 

"Ooohhkay." She didn't sound amused. 

Luke shot her a look that looked like a pleading golden retriever puppy. Julie melted inside. Ok so he was kinda cute. Woah. What am I even thinking!? There's no such thing as cute ghosts...Julie huffed as she softened her gaze. 

"So what are you exactly?" 

"Ghost. Teenager. Musician spirit. Call it what ya like." He responded casually. 

"Musician spirit?" She raised an eyebrow. 

Luke smiled as he held out his hands. In a poof of bright blue light, a guitar appeared between his hands. "I always knew our instruments were attached to our souls." He smiled as he caressed the instrument in his arms as if it were his child. 

"Our?" Julie was now intrigued.

"Oh yeah. Me and my band mates. But, you'll meet them later." He smirked at her. She looked kinda worried at that. Great. She thought. There's more of them?! 

She shook off the thought for now, she would deal with that later. For now she had beanie to deal with. I mean come on! An orange beanie? Weren't they supposed to be Christmas spirits? She chuckled. Luke's eyes glowed. He loved the sound of her laugh. 

"Oh, I'm Julie by the way. Julie Molina." 

"Trust me, I know." Luke laughed as she looked confused again. "C'mon. I've got a lot to show you before my time's up." With that, he took her hand in his. Julie felt a weird pulling sensation in the middle of her stomach. Wh-what's happening to me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luke as the Ghost of Christmas Past? Who woulda thought? And Bobby Marley? Hehehe...


	4. Life's a test, yes…

The two of them appeared in a poof of white frost to what appeared to be somebody's porch. 

"No. No. NO!!" Luke paced as he pulled the beanie off his head in frustration. "We were supposed to see your past, not mine!!" He wrung his hands together in nervousness. 

Julie put a hand on the side of the building and leaned against it for support. She was still reeling from the teleportation. A few moments passed and she recovered. 

Julie let out a laugh. "You mean to tell me that with everything you can do you couldn't even take me to the right place?!" She held her stomach as she laughed loudly. Luke scrunched up his face, making her laugh even harder. He looked like an upset toddler. 

"No." He let out an exasperated sigh. "This has to be right. The magic always works this way." He frowned. "Well, even though I don't like it, I'll do it for you." He took a breath as he grabbed Julie's arm. Pretty soon, they walked through the front door and into the living room of the house they had poofed in front of moments ago. 

The living room was cold. Cold for a house, but even colder given it was Christmas time and this house didn't have a single Santa Claus, Rudolph, or elf anywhere. Julie frowned as she looked around at the near-empty living room. 

"Wh-where is everyone? Where's the Christmas lights? The tree? The presents? The chocolate chip cookies?" 

Luke looked sadly at the scene as a couple soon walked in. He gestured for Julie to listen as the couple began to speak. 

"He's not coming back? Not even for Christmas?" The woman, dressed in an old Christmas sweater and nice dress pants spoke up. 

"I don't think so, Emily." The man embraced her and rubbed a hand comfortably behind her back. She sobbed lightly into his shoulder. 

"I just want him to come home. Mitch, we should have supported him. We should have recognized his passion. He was so good too. And we just turned a blind eye to his talents." 

Mitch frowned, but spoke up. "It's not your fault dear. You have to stop blaming yourself. Sure we didn't support his music, but he was the one who ran out. He could have chosen to come back anytime. He still can." He said that last part with a hint of some emotion in his voice. Hope? Lost hope. Julie concluded. 

Behind her Julie could faintly hear someone sniffling. She turned around. The sight that greeted her was heartbreaking. Luke was crying. His sobs gradually getting louder as the scene continued to play before them. 

"I-I can't do this. I shouldn't have brought you here. Why did they want me to bring you here?!" His sobs soon developed into wails. Pitiful, sorrowful wails. The cries soon got too loud for her to take. She covered her ears. Moments passed and the wails turned into shrieks. Unbearable, painstakingly loud shrieks. Wind blew through the house and shattered the windows in a burst of glass. Julie hugged herself, shivering in pure terror. 

"Stop! You have to STOP!!" Julie pleaded for the ghost to pull it together. 

"I-I'm sorry." That was all he said before poofing out. Julie breathed out a sigh of relief as the wind ceased. Pretty soon, the scene melted away to reveal the studio. She let out a huge breath. She was back home. But something was different. She looked down. Crumpled up in her hands were a couple pages that looked like they were from a notebook. She uncrumpled them. It was a song. "Unsaid Emily." She began reading it: 

"First things first,

We start the scene in reverse.

All of the lines rehearsed,

Disappeared from my mind…"

Julie held a hand to her mouth in shock as scenes began playing in front of her vision. Luke arguing with his parents, him grabbing his jacket and guitar as Emily pleaded with him to stay.

"When things got loud,

One of us running out.

I should have turned around…"

Julie heard Emily sob loudly as Luke biked away from their house, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"But I had too much pride." 

Julie wiped at the tears falling down her cheek. She didn't know how, but she felt like she was feeling exactly how Luke was at the moment. Anger. Fear. Hurt. Regret. All of these emotions flowed through her violently as the scenes played out before her. The music continued:

"No time for goodbyes,

Didn't get to apologise. 

Pieces of a clock that lies broken…"

The scene morphed into another. This time, Julie could see Luke in the studio. Her mom's studio. Writing and scribbling out lyrics to the song that was currently haunting her brain. Seconds later, the scene shifted back to the house Luke had taken her to. This time, however, Julie was in the backyard. Watching, as Luke ducked behind the bushes observing his parents from afar. 

"If I could take us back,

If I could just do that.

And write in every empty space,

The words I love you in replace,

And every time would not erase me…" 

Julie gasped as an overwhelming feeling of pain and loss gripped at her heart. Lights flashed in a blinding array of colors. Red. Blue. Red. Blue. Sirens screamed. Julie froze as Emily and Mitch hugged each other in utter sadness. Julie finally understood. Luke had died. She was seeing his parents get the news that their son would never come home. Fear struck a note in her heart as she thought of the same thing happening to her. What would her dad do...what would Carlos do if she were to die unexpectedly? She sobbed into the sleeves of her sweater as the song continued. 

"If you could only know,

I never let you go! 

And the words I most regret,

Are the ones I never meant to leave, 

Unsaid Emily…" 

And with that the scene concluded with an image of Luke's distressed expression as he fought desperately as a ghost to let his presence be known to his parents. Julie's heart ached deeply. That's it. She grabbed the notebook papers tightly in her hands. Someway, somehow I am going to find a way to help him. I am going to find his parents, and I am going to let them know how he felt. The words he never got to tell them. Words left unsaid. Julie looked inside herself for the image of his face one last time. His smile fluttered across her vision. Luke. She hugged the song to her heart. I'll never forget you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you cry reading "Unsaid Emily"? Cause I cried writing it!! xd


	5. But you go toe-to-toe…

Julie tossed and turned in her sleep. The sweat that matted her hair to her forehead was sticky and hot. She wished desperately at that moment to wake up. Unfortunately, fate had another plan for her. The dream intensified. Julie gasped as she found herself in her living room sitting on the couch in front of the tv. Star Wars was playing in the background. Julie raised an eyebrow. Carlos? Was she awake? Why wasn't anyone there? So many questions flowed through her mind. The opening scene played, the recognizable tune growing louder and louder. Julie cupped her hands to her ears. Not this again! Pretty soon the theme shifted. Now, strong bass notes drowned out the familiar melody. Red, green, yellow, blue, and orange flashed in front of her vision like lights on a Christmas tree. One final burst of light illuminated the room, then everything went quiet.

Julie looked around hoping to see the familiar brown-haired guitarist in his orange beanie. Instead, she saw someone else. The boy in front of her was dressed in red flannel, black ripped jeans, and a white tee-shirt. A beaded necklace with an iron bar hanging down from the chain adorned his neck, and a bright red bass was in his hands as he casually strummed a few chords. 

"Uh, hello?" The phase came out more as a question from Julie's lips. 

"Oh, hi!" The bassist waved enthusiastically as he finally noticed she was there. "Oh, I guess this is where I introduce myself. I'm The Ghost of Christmas Present. But you can call me Reggie. All my friends do...ok, so that's a lie. Luke and Alex call me that. I don't really have friends...I mean, I do. No I don't. So Julie right??" He smiled widely.

Julie was so confused. The guy was talking a mile a minute. Nevertheless, something about him warmed her heart. He reminded her of a golden retriever puppy or a hamster. He was just so bubbly and energetic. She immediately let her guard down. 

"Yeah. That's me." She smiled at him. "So you know Luke?" She asked as she thought about what he had just revealed.

"Yeah. He's one of my band mates. But really, he's my brother. There's not really a difference ya know. Even though we're not biologically related…" He trailed off as he seemed to pick up on the fact that he was babbling again. 

Julie chuckled. "It's ok, I know what you mean." Her smile melted into a frown as she thought of Flynn. Flynn was like a sister to her, but lately Julie had been so distant. She sighed. Flynn deserves better. I really haven't been a good friend lately. 

"What's going on...you're making this face…" Reggie twisted his face into an exaggerated frown.

Julie huffed. "That is not my face."

"Weeelll...it kinda is." Reggie chuckled.

"It-it’s just...I was thinking about my friend." She replied. 

"Oh, you mean Flynn." Reggie held up a finger.

Julie's jaw dropped. "Yeah...how'd you...you can't read my thoughts or anything right?"

Reggie huffed in amusement. "No. It's just my job. To know things I mean. I just kinda know everything there is to know about the present. It's my gift. My present, you could say." Reggie chuckled at his own pun. Julie rolled her eyes. 

"Sooo, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you Julie." Reggie explained cheerfully. "C'mon. I'll take you to where you need to go. Reggie took hold of her hand. Julie prepared herself for the sickening feeling to come back into her stomach. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Reggie laughed. "What're you doing silly?! We're just going upstairs." With that Reggie dragged Julie up the stairs, a look of confusion sprawled across her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you want to wake up if a ghost that looked like Jeremy Shada visited you in your dreams...or Charlie Gillespie for that matter? 'Cause I wouldn't! <3


	6. You don't give up, no, you grow…

Julie grew even more confused at the sight in front of her. It was her dad. Ray. But he didn't seem his usual cheerful self. He was sitting on the bed, hands caressing an object he was holding. Julie soon recognized it to be a picture of her mother. 

"Mi amor. Mi Rosa. Te necesita." Ray muttered the Spanish phrases quietly. Pretty soon he began forming larger sentences in English. "I wish we didn't have to move. I love it here. I know you did. But you must understand...he trailed off for a second. Julie could tell it was paining him to say this...Julie needs this. And Tías right, we all need to move on...Ray broke out into tears. "It-it’s just...I can't! My love, my darling. I can't do this alone! I need you!"

Julie backed away and shook her head slowly. No. He never said anything. He always sounded excited to move. Julie always thought it was what he wanted. The truth stung like alcohol on a fresh wound. 

Behind her Reggie broke out into his own tears. Julie turned around to see him back away into the corner of Ray’s bedroom. Reggie dropped to the floor and hugged his knees. Tears fell down like rain from his cheeks. "Mom? Dad? Stop fighting. Please. I didn't mean to make you mad. You don't have to leave. No. NO!! MOM DON'T GO!!" Julie ran and plopped down next to him as he began shaking violently. 

"Hey, hey. It's ok. No one's leaving. How about we get out of here?" She placed a hand on Reggie's shoulder and thought of someplace warm. Of someplace comfortable and safe. A familiar tugging feeling spread throughout her entire body. In just seconds, both Reggie and herself had poofed away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is officially the shortest thing I have ever written...BUT...I mean how could I write more? POOR RAY! POOR REGGIE! *Insert crying buckets emoji here* 
> 
> Spanish translation:  
> Mi amor: My love  
> Te necesita: I need you


	7. And you use your pain…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To answer the question you are probably asking...YES. Julie does have powers in her dreams...I mean this girl can do everything!

Seconds later Reggie and Julie reappeared in what looked like some sort of hotel. I know what Luke means. Julie thought. This magic stuff really is complicated. I was hoping to take us to the beach! 

Julie consoled Reggie as he sat on the floor of the hotel room, his legs pulled tightly to his chest. "Hey, Reggie. You wanna maybe tell me what's wrong?" Julie rubbed his back in a circular motion, hoping the movement would get him to stop focusing on what was scaring him so much. Reggie looked up at her and tried to force a smile. It didn't look too convincing.

"It's-I'm ok. Yeah. Let’s focus on you right now. How are you doing?" Julie gave a strict mom face at the reply. 

"No. That's not going to work. You can't go around snooping into my personal life and expect not to give me anything back. Spill it."

Reggie frowned, but after some time he gave an obligatory sigh. "Ok." He took a shaky breath. "My parents kinda always used to fight. Well, I think they're probably divorced now. But, they weren't when I died...he paused for a bit before continuing...so I just kinda freak out when people raise their voice or get emotional or cry. I don't know...It’s not your dad's fault or anything...I just...I…"

Julie nodded. "I understand." Reggie raised a confused eyebrow.

"You do?"

"Yeah." She smiled warmly. Reggie seemed to relax.

"Welp, I guess we better get you back to your quest." Reggie hopped up quickly from where he was sitting, a smile spreading across his face. "Time to see what your buddy's up to!" 

Julie froze. Oh no! What is it gonna be this time?! 

Julie's mouth opened in shock as Flynn came around the corner, phone in hand. She was madly texting something at the moment. Julie walked over and sat next to Flynn who had just seated herself at the table in the kitchen area. She looked at Flynn's phone to see who she was texting. Oddly enough, it was herself.

Flynn: Jules? Are you awake? I can't sleep. 

Flynn: Jules? Hey, I'm gonna call you if you don't respond soon. I don't care if you're sleeping! I need you right now!

One minute later…

Flynn: Ok! Be prepared! I'm calling!

Julie heard her ringtone sound through the building. It was playing a basic, pre-programmed melody. Reggie cringed.

"Ok, we're gonna have to do something about that ringtone. I mean, that's just annoying." He plugged his fingers into his ears as the noise increased. 

"Oh my gosh. Where'd I put my phone?" Julie began to panic. "I need to find it! I need to text Flynn back!" She began frantically looking through her pockets before realization soon hit. "Oh." She sighed. "It's back at the house." Her face twisted into an anxious frown. 

Reggie copied the look. "Julie, I'm sorry. I'd go get it for you, but that would be breaking the rules."

Julie raised an eyebrow. Rules? What rules? Her mind wandered from the thought as she heard Flynn huff beside her.

"Ok, I see how it is. I'm there to help you with your problems, but you can't be here to help me with mine." She sounded somewhat bitter, yet under her tone Julie detected something stronger. Sadness. No. Disappointment. Regret stabbed at her heart. Flynn. She longed so much to be able to pull her friend into a hug at that moment. Sadly, as she tried she only phased right through her.

"Now you know how I feel." Reggie piped up sadly behind her. Julie gave him a sympathetic expression. Reggie’s face then changed into an anxious line. He bit his lip. "I'm sorry Julie, but we have to keep moving. My time with you is almost up."

Reggie went over to where Julie was sitting and put a hand on her shoulder. A sickening tug pulled at her stomach. Julie groaned. Seriously?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wa-OH WE"RE HALFWAY THE-RE! WA-OH LIVIN'...ok I'll stop. 
> 
> P.S. I'm sorry about this...I haven't taken my anxiety meds yet...


	8. 'Cause it makes you you…

Julie blinked as flashes of color swirled before her. The same colors that had whirled in front of her vision when Reggie had first appeared to her. She sighed. It was gonna take a while to get used to that. 

Julie looked around at the scenery before her. It was beautiful. Red and green decorated the windows, evergreen boughs gave the atmosphere an earthy smell, light glinted off the silver and gold tinsel that adorned the ginormous Christmas tree that sat in the center of the room they were currently standing in. Beside her Reggie gleamed. 

"Don't you just love Christmas!" His eyes glowed as he looked around him in awe. Julie looked down as she played with her bracelets.

"Well, I used to anyway." The light in Reggie's eyes faded. 

"Oh."

"Yeah, it-it just hasn't been the same since my mom passed away." Julie choked up as she said this.

Reggie looked at Julie sadly, yet empathetically. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't know." 

Julie took a deep breath. Silence filled the room for what felt like a few minutes. Pretty soon Reggie spoke up.

"Recognize where we are?" He looked at her expectantly. Julie frowned in thought.

"Not really." Realization then hit. "Oh." Her tone was low. "Carrie's house." Reggie nodded. 

As if to confirm her suspicions, Carrie appeared from the kitchen, a glass of water in her hands. Moments passed and Carrie sat down on the couch, placing the cup of water she had been holding on the glass coffee table in front of her. She rubbed her temples. Julie's eyes softened at what she saw. Was Carrie alright? As if to respond to her unspoken question, Carrie sighed deeply. 

"I miss you dad." She bit her lip to hold back her emotions. "I miss everyone." Carrie spoke as if someone was listening. Unfortunately, no one was there. She picked up a pillow that was lying on the couch. Holding it tight, she began speaking again. "It-it’s just so hard to pretend. To pretend everything is ok. To pretend I don't miss my old friends. To pretend I actually have friends at all." Julie reached out a hand to comfort Carrie. It passed right through her shoulder. Julie felt as though she could burst with sadness. To see her enemy there...enemy? How did it ever come to that? Julie should have been there for Carrie when her dad passed away. It's just, she had already crumbled from the passing of her own mom just months before. Realization hit Julie's heart like a truck. What if Carrie did try to help me? Did I push her away?

Memories flooded Julie's head as she recounted the events following her mother's passing. She had become distant then. She'd even gone as far as to try to push Flynn away. Only, she hadn't succeeded with that one. Flynn was extremely stubborn, and extremely determined. Carrie, on the other hand, had always been more vulnerable. A little more fragile. Don't get me wrong, she was powerful in her own way. But, perhaps she wasn't strong enough back then to resist the words Julie had spoken. Just go away. I need some time alone. Please, don't bring it up. Just go! Julie remembered saying all this and more to Carrie. To everyone. Tears formed in Julie's eyes. What have I done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Backstory for Carrie?! YESSS!!!


	9. Though I wish I could hold you through it…

Carrie sat there for what felt like hours. Julie sat next to her on the couch. Carrie may not have ever known, but at that moment, she wasn't alone. Even though Julie was not visible. Even though she wasn't tangible. She was there. A ghost, an angel watching over her. Carrie shivered as though she could feel other presences in the room. She hadn't reacted to it before, but the atmosphere felt wrong. Like the air conditioning had turned down ten degrees on its own. Yet, despite the cold, Carrie couldn't help but feel a warm sensation fill her heart. Reggie sat down on Carrie's other side and put his hand over hers. Carrie felt tingles pulse into her fingers. She looked at her hands, turning them over and over as if searching for an invisible substance that wasn't there. She sighed and brushed the feeling off. It was probably just sleep messing with her brain. Eventually, Reggie nodded at Julie and indicated that they had to be leaving. As Reggie and Julie stood, Carrie let out a small gasp. The cold temperature instantly warmed up by a couple degrees. Carrie turned her head right and left, searching for the presence she had sensed only seconds before. She took in a shaky breath. Leaning down, she took a sip of water and gingerly got up to go put the glass away in the kitchen. She would never admit this night to anyone. If she did, she would sound crazy. But, Carrie swore she had seen something move from the corner of her eye. A shadow? A ghost? She shook her head. No, silly. Stuff like that doesn't exist. Get a grip. Her own thoughts scolded her mind. Anyways, you're alone. You're always alone. And that’s the way you like it. Carrie's eyebrows pinched together at the last thought. She was determined to remain strong. They relaxed. A tear rolled down her cheek. You're always alone. 

…

Julie blinked as she realized that she was yet again at the loft. She looked around her. Reggie. She thought as she didn't catch a glimpse of the bassist anywhere. Where are you? Her confusion soon melted away. Oh, yeah. She recalled the events of the past few minutes. Once Carrie had gone back to the kitchen, Reggie had said something about having to be somewhere. Something about going "back to the future"--whatever that means. Julie sighed. I can't wait to wake up from this crazy dream! 

As soon as the thought ran through her brain, a sound resonated throughout the loft. Julie wanted to cry. Not again!! This time, the song had no melody at all. Rather, it was a pattern of beats that graced Julie's ears. Beats? Drums? Julie prepared for the noise to deafen her like the others had. Surprisingly, the crescendo never came. Instead, the beats seemed to soften. They became rhythmic, like the soft lub dub of a heartbeat. Julie felt herself relax into the music. She started tapping her feet, swaying to the lively pulse. A soft pink glow began to radiate in front of her. First starting as barely a glow, the light swelled stronger and stronger. Pretty soon, Julie was forced to cover her eyes. She blinked rapidly as the soft pink deepened in hue. A moment passed where Julie found herself mesmerized by the spectacle before her. Then, at the speed of a supernova, the light blinked away. In its place, a teenager stood. Another ghost. Julie presumed. 

The ghost boy turned in her direction, a soft smile dancing across his face. His movements were graceful, his tone soft as he beaconed her to come closer. 

"It's time Julie." His voice was but a whisper. "I am The Ghost of Christmas Future. And now it's time to see yours." Julie froze at his last words. Noticing her hesitation, he approached her and gently grabbed her hands. "It's ok, I'll be with you the whole time." 

Julie slowly nodded her head. She didn't know why, but she felt as though she could trust him. Like he was her best friend that had been with her for her entire life. She smiled. A voice softly spoke in her memory. Alex. She scrunched her eyebrows together in an expression of both confusion and fear. Who said that? She thought. On her side, she noticed Alex smile at her as if reading her thoughts. 

"You'll understand soon enough."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEEERRREEE'S Alex! (I'm in a VERY weird mood)


	10. I know it's not the same…

Julie's whole body pulsed with electric energy. She could feel energy coursing through her, empowering her, overwhelming her. She gasped in air as she looked around to see where they had ended up. Alex dusted himself off and turned to see if she was alright. Julie glared at him as she quickly gathered herself together. That time had been way different. It felt powerful. Too powerful. She didn't know how to feel, but one thing was for sure: she never wanted to do that again. 

Alex's eyes were pools of mystery as he appeared to stare into an abyss of nothingness. Julie waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello-oh, anyone there?" She looked at him dumbfounded. 

The drummer put a finger to his lips, indicating she should be quiet. Julie did a double take, but she remained quiet nonetheless. 

From the corners of her vision, Julie could see pink swirls of mist gather at the center of the room. She gasped as a scene began to unfurl in front of her. 

Julie was on stage, in front of her entire school. It appeared to be some sort of performance. The only problem, Julie wasn't doing anything. She sat there, frozen. Lifeless. Boos from the crowd drowned out all else. She searched around desperately for something to distract her from the humiliation. Nothing. Then her eyes caught sight of something horrible. Something she never thought could happen in a million years. It was Flynn. Only this time, she was dressed as a member of Dirty Candy. Julie froze as she watched in terror as Flynn pointed up at her and laughed. 

"Does anyone know the heimlich? Julie's choking." At that the crowd roared in laughter. Julie turned to face Alex, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What is this? Why are you showing this to me?!" She demanded the spirit to tell her. 

"This isn't me. It's you." He responded cryptically. He continued with a better explanation after seeing the look on her face. "This is what happens when you refuse to let music back into your life." He sounded somewhat sad at his own words.

Julie immediately pleaded for him to show her a different future. "But, what if I start playing again? What if I get the courage to perform?"

"That's just it. You never do. You threw away that opportunity when you tossed our cd aside. You see, we were supposed to come to you tonight when you played our song. We were the ones that were gonna get you back in the music program. The ones who you were gonna form a band with...and the ones who were gonna fix the rift between you and your friends. Between you and your family." His eyes glowed in pain as he projected for her a future she hadn't ever even dreamed of. Julie's eyes welled up in regret. 

"So you're Sunset Curve…"

Alex nodded. "We were gonna be legends. Before we died that is. And then, we were supposed to get another chance...with you, Julie." Julie broke out into a sob as the drummer made a circling motion with his hands. A crash like the sound of cymbals hitting together shocked Julie into attention as the scene before her shifted. 

"This was going to be our future…" Alex near whispered.

Julie gasped as images flew past in whirls of pinks, purples, blues. She was on stage, performing with them. There they were, in front of the whole school, rocking out to the beat of their own rhythm, their own melody. 

The scene changed again. Julie wanted to cry out as Flynn ran away. Then, she was at her house. At the studio. Flynn was looking at her expectantly, her arms crossed. 

"This better be good, I'm waiting!" Julie heard Flynn say as she waved her hand for Julie to start playing.

Julie looked around the room, confused when she heard the lyrics to a poem she had once written about Flynn. A poem she had never even considered putting to music. 

"If I leave you on a bad note,

Leave you on a sad note,

Guess that means I'm buying lunch that day.

I know all your secrets,

You know all my deep-dish.

Guess that means some things they never,

They never change.

We both know what I, what I,

What I mean.

When I look at you it's like I'm looking at me!

My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo, 

My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo without you! 

Hey, yeah, yeah,

Hey, yeah, yeah…" 

After some of the song had played, Julie reached a hand out to Flynn. Unfortunately, the scene changed once again before she could connect. 

Julie found herself dancing. Dancing like she never has before. Dancing to the beat of an invisible soundtrack as she glided through the halls, the support of the entire school behind her.

The image quickly changed to the scene of a large crowd. It was a school dance. Julie frowned as she saw herself sitting depressed on the floor, the cord to a projector held in her hand. She raised an eyebrow. A projector? What's that for? She tensed as the scene melded into one of a familiar place.

It was Luke's front porch. She gasped as she saw what was going on. Luke was sitting on the table, gazing at his parents as they lit a candle for a cake that was presumably his own. A tear rolled down her cheek as Luke blew out the candle, his parents sharing a look as they lit it once more.

Waves of purple mist blew past her vision. Now, she was at what appeared to be a venue. She froze as she heard herself speak. "We're Julie and the Phantoms. Tell your friends!" 

The scene changed once more. She was at school. Dancing...with Nick. Nick? The boy she had a crush on for ages! How was this happening?! Julie's head spun as Nick soon faded away to reveal another person. Luke? Chills crept up her arm as she saw him. He was dressed in a white button-down and black slacks. His hair was molded perfectly into a look that was not too different from how a prince would style his hair. She barely breathed as they walked towards each other. Her vision whirled. 

She was in front of the studio. In front of her, she saw her and the three ghosts who had visited her that night performing. They were good. Real good. The crowd roared as Luke, the guitarist, played a solo riff as he joined Julie at the piano. 

Blues, violets, and reds blurred together. She was in a dressing room, disappointment, no, fear written all over her face. Julie watched from afar as she saw Flynn try to comfort her. Pretty soon, Julie saw herself run out of the dressing room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know he's technically supposed to by the Ghost of Christmas yet to come...but that's booshie, this is 2020...unfortunately.


	11. You got living to do…

Julie blinked as the scene before her shifted to a place she recognized from one of her dad's old photos. The Orpheum? She stared, her mouth open in shock as she saw herself up on the stage. Ha-how is this possible?! 

Julie stood there, unable to move a muscle, as she saw herself singing. Singing powerfully. Singing alone. Pretty soon she saw Alex appear behind the drums, a confident smile crossing his face. Moments later, Reggie appeared, his face glowing with pride. Julie's heart skipped a beat. Luke's image was flickering in and out of existence. It was like he was fighting with some invisible force. Fighting to stay alive. To perform...with her. 

Julie shivered as the scene changed one last time. She was in the studio. It was dark, the lights completely turned off. She gasped as she saw herself turn on the lights. The sight before her was heartbreaking. The boys sat in a pile, all the energy drained from their bodies. Julie jumped in shock as a dark purple jolt ripped through their bodies. Julie cried for the friends she knew nothing about. She cried for the pain they were going through. They were all but strangers to her now, yet she couldn't help but feel a connection to them. 

"No. NO!" Julie's head whipped around to look at Alex. "This can't be the future! This can't be how it ends!" Julie's words broke into sobs as she saw another jolt rip through the guys. "Take me back! I can fix this! I can change it! PLEASE!!" Julie grabbed onto Alex's arm as she pleaded for him to give her another chance. Alex didn't respond; instead, he swirled his hands in the same motion as before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait...was this one even shorter than that previous chapter?!! AHHH! What have I become!


	12. And I just want you to do it…

Julie awoke in the studio with a gasp of air. She patted herself over. Whew! She breathed out a sigh of relief. I'm me again! Realization then hit. The cd! Carrie! Flynn! Julie scrambled up from her place on the floor. She began rummaging madly through the piles of stuff in the loft. After what seemed like agonizingly long minutes, she finally found it. She opened the case. There they were. Sunset Curve. She practically glided down the ladder as she hurried to place the cd in the player. 

Julie sat on the couch as she began bobbing her head to the music. 

"One, two, three…

Take off, last stop,  
Countdown 'til we blast open the top.

Face first, full charge,

Electric hammer to the heart.

Clocks move forward,

But we don't get older, no...

Kept on climbing,

'Til our stars collided…"

Julie held her hands over her ears as the music shifted into what sounded like loud screaming.

"Aaaaaaaaahhh...Umph!!" The boys grumbled as they landed roughly on the floor of the studio. 

Julie smiled widely. "Hey guys." She said casually.

"Took you long enough." The one in the middle teased. Luke. Julie grinned in response. 

"Hey! You actually did it!" The blonde drummer looked at her in pride.

"I always knew she would!" The bassist piped up.

"No you didn't." Luke gave him a look.

"Yeah, I did." Reggie pouted.

"Dude you literally made a bet that she was gonna throw the cd away!" Alex laughed at Reggie. He made a look of protest. 

"No I didn't!"

"Yes you did!" Alex and Luke shouted in unison.

"GUYS!" Julie waved her arms in the air. "Stop that! Don't we have something we need to be doing?!"

"Oh, right." Luke grabbed his neck sheepishly in embarrassment. 

"There's just one problem…" Alex began to say as he looked at the ground.

"What is it?" Julie asked in concern.

"We have no idea where to start."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Typical ghost boys...We all know they have no idea what they're doing!


	13. So get up, get out, relight that spark…

"What do you mean you don't know where to start. You guys literally just showed me my future!" Julie's voice rose as she hissed in frustration.

"Correction, Alex showed you the future. And...to be fair, that was only a future. You kinda already changed it." Luke pointed out as Julie glared at him. He held up his hands in front of him.

"What do you mean? I put the cd in just like Alex said to!" The frustration in her voice increased.

"Weeelll, yes and no. You put the cd in...buuut, not at the right time. In the future I showed you, you summoned us a lot later. Like, after Christmas." Alex rubbed his neck as he offered her the explanation. 

Julie's mouth formed into an "oh". 

Reggie chuckled at the look she was giving. "Yeah, Alex's magic isn't always the most clear. Unlike mine! My magic is great!" Reggie smiled brightly as Alex gave him a whack on the shoulder. "Hey!" His face formed a pout. "That hurt!" 

"Well...I guess we should probably start with the whole helping you to sing again thing…" Luke smiled at his own idea. Julie rolled her eyes. 

"Oh yeah, that." 

"Hey, why do you sound so bummed about it?" Luke asked. "Music is like breathing. It just comes naturally." He said casually.

"Woah! That is not true. C'mon dude, show a little sensitivity." Alex turned to Julie. "I'm sorry about him. He doesn't understand 2020." Alex whispered. 

Julie smiled. "Yeah. It's not that easy. Music has always been something I shared with my mom. Without her here with me...I-I just don't know if I can do it." 

"But that's just the thing...she is here." Reggie spoke up. The other three looked at him dumbfounded. 

"Uhhh...dude! What are you talking about? Where?" Luke asked, confusion apparent in his voice.

"No, not here. Here!" Reggie pointed at where Julie's heart would be. "Right there. And she always will be." Reggie's eyes glowed as the others looked at him astonished. Where did that come from? 

Julie's entire demeanor softened. "You know what...she took a shaky, deep breath…you're right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AWWW!!! REGGIE!!! Was what I made him say cheesy...yes. But is Reggie cheesy anyways...YES!
> 
> P.S. I'm starting to think all these chapters are short...wait, that's why there's 14 of them!! XD


	14. You know the rest by heart…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know in the comments if you enjoyed this Christmas special! My original song lyrics are in this chapter. I call this song "Destiny".

It took a lot, but eventually the guys convinced Julie to perform at the annual Christmas Gala. The morning of the performance, Julie had called Flynn and apologized for not answering last night. Julie then explained her plan to play at the gala, and hopefully build up enough courage to perform in front of the school and make it back into the music program. Flynn had forgiven her on the spot after her explanation and promised to watch Julie's performance on the live stream. 

That morning, Julie had also reached out to Carrie. She didn't know what would happen, but she invited her to come to the gala nonetheless. Hopefully, if everything went right, she would find a way to reconcile with Carrie. She knew now that Carrie was hurting just as much as she had when her own mother had passed away. It wasn't fair of Julie to push her away then, and now, after discovering the truth, there was no way she was gonna push her away again. 

Julie pulled herself together as the time to perform was just moments away.

"Don't worry, you got this!" Luke gave her a thumbs-up from where he was standing with the guys. Alex and Reggie nodded encouragingly. 

Julie took in a deep breath and stepped onto a small stage that was at the center of the ballroom. 

"Hi. Umm, I'm Julie Molina." The crowd chuckled at her awkward introduction. She gave a nervous glance to the guys, they smiled up at her in response. Go for it. She read from their expressions. She relaxed. 

"I'm Julie Molina, and I'm going to be performing an original song entitled "Destiny". This was written with the help of three special friends, I couldn't have done it without them." 

With that, she began playing a simple beat on the keyboard. Pretty soon, her voice rose above the tune: 

"When the past, oh the present, and the future collide,

Won't you open up your eyes? 

Can't you see the stars align? 

Oh when the past, oh the present, and the future collide,

Won't you open up your eyes? 

Can't you see the stars align?

Don't you see? 

The path is clear to me,

'Cause my spirit's finally free,

And I write my destiny!

When the past, oh the present, and the future collide,

Should you open up your eyes?

Would you see the stars align?

At this moment Julie began to feel empowered, like her entire being was brimming with energy, her soul, heart, and mind becoming one with the music. A few beats passed, and the extraordinary happened. The guys poofed up next to her on stage, their instruments and voices adding new, powerful elements to an already stellar performance. The crowd roared to life. Julie hesitated for a moment, her brows furrowing in confusion. Can they see them? She turned her head towards Luke, silently asking what was going on. He winked at her.

"Just go with it!" He encouraged as the band picked up from where they had left off.

"When the past, oh the present, and the future collide,

Should you open up your eyes?

Would you see the stars align?

Oh can't you see?

The answer's clear to me,

When the past, oh the present, and the future collide,

You should open up your eyes,

Spread your wings and take flight.

'Cause can't you see?

There is no destiny…

That can't be changed." 

As Julie and the band finished the song, the crowd erupted in applause. Julie spread her hands out to acknowledge the guys. She then bowed deeply as cheers filled the air, the guys joining in on the bow. She stood tall once more and held her arms out yet again to give the guys recognition. However, this time, when she dropped her arms she heard a loud gasp from the crowd. She looked behind her. The guys had disappeared. She turned back to the crowd, a sheepish look on her face. 

"Woah, what happened to the band?" A voice spoke up from the crowd. Julie froze as several people popped up with the same question. She looked around to try to come up with a quick plan. That's when she spotted it. A projector hanging from the ceiling.

"Oh, yeah. They're holograms. I plugged in the projector before getting on stage." Crickets greeted her. "I would explain how it works, but it involves algorithms and science stuff." The crowd cheered after she finished explaining. She gave a nervous grin in response. 

As the crowd died down and the party began to slow, Julie noticed a familiar face amongst the crowd. "Carrie, I was hoping I'd see you here." Julie said as she stopped in front of her. 

"That-that was actually pretty good Molina." Carrie gave Julie a look that could only be described as a valiant attempt at a smile. Julie smiled warmly in response.

"Hey, you maybe wanna catch up sometime? I miss hanging out with you." Julie saw Carrie do a double take as the words left her mouth. The two of them remained quiet for what seemed like a long time. Finally, when Julie swore Carrie was gonna come up with some snarky remark, Carrie answered.

"I'd like that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was going to include a part in this where Julie takes "Unsaid Emily" to Luke's parents...BUT, I felt that it ended as soon as I wrote those final lines. I don't know...It was just perfect! Just note that she didn't forget Luke and did take the song to his parents eventually. Also...another loose end...Flynn ended up reconciling with Julie after she explained that the boys were ghosts (she just left out the crazy dream part lol). 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this! I had such a fun time writing it!! Merry Christmas everyone!!! I hope this time lifts up your spirit even if you don't celebrate Christmas. And Yes. I do realize it's only Dec. 10th!!! FIGHT ME!! XDDD At least I didn't post this in November <3

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's a little early, but honestly I'm already in the Christmas mood! Hopefully you enjoyed this! As always, kudos, comments, and suggestions appreciated! Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas (and if you don't celebrate it, I hope you have an extremely good break)! Love ya guys! <3<3


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